


Not What It Looks Like

by pumpkinpyre



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 04:52:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13803810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pumpkinpyre/pseuds/pumpkinpyre
Summary: Major Miles catches an irritable and sleep-deprived General Armstrong in a decidedly less-than-ideal position.





	Not What It Looks Like

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InkuisitivSkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkuisitivSkins/gifts).



It was after lights-out, but Major Miles stayed up to read a book in his bunk, restlessly drumming his fingers on the leather-bound back cover. General Armstrong had shooed him off to bed so she could hole up in her office to burn the midnight oil. “No sense in both of us staying up,” she’d sighed, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. 

Miles couldn’t help worrying about her, though. The general had been pulling all-nighters for a solid week now, and he had definitely picked up on the change it brought about in her. 

She’d grown hopelessly dependent on drip coffee barely fit for human consumption, and would rain hellfire upon anyone who crossed her when she inevitably crashed.  
She had always had a bit of a temper, but recent times found her outright ornery. She snapped pens, kicked doors, and would rip the head off of any new recruit who made the mistake of breathing “wrong” in front of her. 

Olivier had even become short with Miles, which was extraordinarily rare for her. She’d send him off on pointless errands just to get him out of her hair, and she radiated a contemptuous aura in the few moments they were actually together. When they conversed, her responses were clipped and her brow furrowed. On occasion, he could feel her eyes boring into him as he worked, seemingly willing him to blink out of existence. It was nothing he wasn’t equipped to handle, but it stung coming from a trusted friend.

In her calmer moments, she’d stare into space with the expression of someone lightyears away, unmoving and unblinking. This left the major partly convinced that she’d perfected the art of sleeping with her eyes open. He certainly wouldn’t put it past her. 

He set his book down. She’d been awake for longer than anyone needed to be. The general had a way of throwing herself into her work and getting a bit reckless with her health as a result. Miles was typically the one to deal with the fallout, though Fort Briggs’s resident doctor had been known to intervene on occasion, much to General Armstrong’s chagrin. 

She loathed infirmary visits. Sitting in bed hooked to an IV made her feel like a snared rabbit, and she’d confided in Miles that receiving injections made her skin crawl. Therefore, he’d save her the trouble and nip it in the bud before she began to really do harm to herself. Even if he was just the smallest bit afraid of her at the moment.

It wouldn’t hurt to at least see if she was still at it, or to maybe bring her a cup of tea. She’d either appreciate the gesture or chide him for disobeying orders by staying up and bothering her. He stood and stretched, his back arching. There was only one way to find out. 

He padded out to the kitchen, shivering just a bit without his layers, and brewed her a cup of tea. Chamomile, with warm milk. Hopefully it’d be enough to facilitate a good night’s sleep, and possibly spare him of her wrath. He carefully lifted the mug from the counter and started towards the beleaguered general’s office, taking care to be as quiet as he could manage. 

As he lifted a hand to gently rap at the heavy wooden door, he could just barely make out her muffled alto speaking his name from the other side of it. She sounded... Different. Weak, but urgent. As he considered what he’d just overheard, her voice came again.

_“Miles.”_

The major’s mind moved a mile a minute. Oh God. This was it, wasn’t it? Consistent overworking had obviously caused his superior to collapse from exhaustion, just as he’d feared she would. She needed his help. He swung the door open to rush to her aid, and the sight that awaited him was not one that would be leaving his head anytime soon. 

The diminutive General Armstrong’s heavy-treaded boots were kicked up on her solid oak desk, her uniform pants gathered around them. Her pale thighs quivered, and had the slightest wet sheen in the low light. Her chest heaved beneath her black undershirt. Brows knit, cheeks flushed. Carnation-pink lips hung open, releasing a series of short, hot breaths. A throbbing hum filled the thick air. 

Miles was stricken by ice, unable to move. Though the elapsed time was only a couple of seconds, it crept forward like molasses.

_Holy fucking shit._

When the general spotted him, the fog of lust left her livid eyes. They bulged. “M-Miles?!”

The day had finally come. The end of both their cherished relationship and Miles’s life.

The mug of tea trembled in the major’s hands, which were now of a higher temperature than their contents. “G-General, I—“

He’d had a good run, he supposed. A respectable and fulfilling career, fighting passionately for a cause that really mattered to him. And what a way to go.

“D-Don’t say anything, stop looking at me!” The general hastily swung her feet down from their rest, causing her chair to tip. With a startled yelp, she gracelessly careened to the floor.

Miles rushed to her side and found her struggling to redress herself.

“I said don’t look!” She squawked, sending a small kick in his general direction.

A wave of warmth overtook him and he jerked his head away. “S-Sorry.” 

General Armstrong fastened her pants and defensively yanked her jacket closed. “It wasn’t what it looked like,” she groused, avoiding eye contact. “I-I was simply...” She trailed off, and the silence was punctuated by the angry buzz of a blush-colored tool pulsing across the floor. Its mortified wielder scrambled to hush it, jamming in the power button with her index finger.

She slowly turned her gaze to Major Miles. “How much did you see?”

“Nothing, Sir,” came his immediate reply. 

The working relationship between General Armstrong and her men was the key to the functionality of Fort Briggs. He didn’t want to embarrass his commander any further than he already had by intruding on her, or risk their comfortable dynamic. Besides, he’d hardly looked. 

The general pursed her lips, considering her words. “How much.. Did you hear?”

Miles hesitated, his brain a web of questions. Was it really his name that she’d murmured in such an intimate moment? Had he even heard her right? Had he imagined it? If she _had_ said his name, what did that mean for the—

“Miles, answer me. Now.” 

“N-Nothing, Sir.” 

After a moment of silence, General Armstrong’s eyes narrowed slightly. She was now playing offense. “Listen to me closely, Major. If you breathe a single word of this to anyone, and I do mean _anyone_ , you can be sure that I’ll—“ 

Miles quickly nodded. “Understood, Sir. I wouldn’t dream of telling a soul.” 

After a lengthy pause, Olivier sighed, exasperated now that the majority of her blinding rage had dissipated. “What I can’t understand is why you would just.. Barge in like that.”

“Why would _you_ —“ The major stopped as quickly as he started, minding his tongue. “You’ve been under a lot of stress, so I..” He cleared his throat. “I made you some tea.”

The small blonde still sported a slight frown, but seemed to be settling down. “O-Oh, well... Very well, then. Um.. Thank you for your discretion.”

Miles nodded again as he helped the general to her feet. “Of course, Sir. Now, uh.. You get to bed soon, alright? You’re clearly in need of some down time.” He set the mug of tea on her desk top and took a moment to right her fallen chair. 

She nodded back, unsure what to make of his sudden change in demeanor. Perhaps she hadn’t given him enough credit. “R-Right. You, uh... Enjoy the rest of your evening, Major.” 

The Ishvalan gave her a small, polite smile. “I intend to, Sir. Goodnight.” With that, he discreetly exited, softly shutting the door behind him. 

Olivier blinked at the mug resting upon her desk corner. The major had always conducted himself in a professional manner, but she would be lying if she said that she’d expect him to recover from such an event so quickly. He must not have picked up any of her.. Compromising utterances. 

A willing and relieved sigh escaped her lips. While the humiliation may not fade as quickly as she would like, at least her truest of feelings remained hidden. Nevertheless, she was now both mentally and physically exhausted. Perhaps it was time for her to turn in for the night.

Miles returned to his bunk and settled down on his bed, a familiar heat rising from the pit of his stomach. His head was swimming. He sighed, disappointed in himself. He hated being so weak-willed. From a moral, logical standpoint, he understood that his yearning was ill-advised. However, the logic center was not the part of his brain lighting up as his quaking hands dared to dip down. 

As he cleared a path for himself, fabric sliding over flesh, he thought of her. The flush of her cheeks, the hitch in her breath, the ghost of his name upon her lips. He couldn’t help but shiver at the fresh memory. His pulse quickened, his skin prickled. Desire was overwhelming him. The guilt would have to be something for him to contend with later. He’d likely be up ‘til dawn now, all alone with the image she’d left in his head. 

He’d try his best to keep it down.

**Author's Note:**

> Raunchy LivMiles? Raunchy LivMiles.  
> This is actually from a tumblr prompt I received about a year ago that I very much intended to fill ASAP, but didn't get around to 'til just recently. Marked as Mature instead of Explicit because nothing is described in close detail, but I may change that later if I can. Also, the word "livid" as used here is actually another term for the color blue! I learned of that meaning a couple weeks ago and IMMEDIATELY knew I wanted to use it to describe Liv lmao. I feel this isn't quite as artfully written as I'd've liked it to be, but I'm still happy with it! We'll see how I feel in a month or so lol.


End file.
